1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system projectors, and more particularly to a system and method for intelligent information handling system projector cool down.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems often interact with a number of peripherals to communicate, print, display or otherwise process information. For instance, information handling systems often display information by using projectors. Projectors generate images with a LCD panel, illuminate the image with a bright lamp, and present the image through a lens focused against a distal screen. Projectors aid in the presentation of information from an information handling system to a group of individuals and, thus, have become a popular way to present information in business meetings. Typically, a presenter prepares information on a portable information handling system using applications such as POWERPOINT by MICROSOFT and carries the information handling system and projector to the meeting. At the meeting, the presenter connects the information handling system to the projector and illuminates images provided from the information handling system with the projector for other attendees of the meeting to see. After the presentation, the projector and information handling system are generally powered down and then taken by the presenter when the meeting is complete. In today's fast paced business environment, presenters often make repeated presentations in various locations during the course of a day so that a typical projector may be powered up and shut down repeatedly during the course of a day.
One difficulty associated with the use of projectors to display information is that the lamps used to illuminate the information produce substantial amounts of heat during illumination. In order to ensure proper operation of the electronic components within the projector as well as the lamp, projectors are typically equipped with cooling fans that transport heat from the projector during operation. However, when the lamp is not illuminated, the cooling fans typically turn off after a defined time period in order to reduce the noise produced incidental to the operation of the cooling fans. Generally, projector cooling fans are designed to remain on for the defined period after the illumination from the lamp is ended so that the lamp and projector components receiving cooling air to reduce their temperature. However, users sometimes interrupt post-operation cooling by unplugging the projector before the defined period is complete. For instance, users are often in a rush after completing a presentation and do not want to wait for the predefined period to end. Also, running the cooling fans after completion of a presentation often annoys users who prefer to have a post-presentation discussion in quiet without the cooling fan noise in the background. Unplugging the projector to shut down cooling fan operation before the lamp and projector components have cooled typically reduces the life of the lamp and components, often leading to premature failure.